Pipe holding apparatus

ABSTRACT

The pipe holding apparatus comprises a base, a chuck including a pair of opposing semicircular jaws operable to compressively contact a pipe and the like, and an actuator assembly operable to actuate the jaws together and to lock the jaws about a pipe. The actuator assembly comprises a series of levers and linkage arms suitably mounted on the base and to suitable portions of the chuck.

[ Dec. 30, 1975 United States Patent [1 1 Eastwood et al.

[54] PIPE HOLDING APPARATUS [76] Inventors: Chester A. Eastwood, 2202 River Road; Clyde A. Eastwood, 2311 River Road, both of Yakima, Wash. 98902 Kraft, ll

[22] Filed: July 22, 1974 [2]] Appl. No.: 478,186

ABSTRACT The pipe holding apparatus comprises a base, a chuck including a pair of opposing semicircular jaws operable to compressively contact a pipe and the like, and an actuator assembly operable to actuate the jaws together and to lock the jaws about a pipe. The actuator 70 7 8 8 U12 4 2 5 ;m1 8 2 .3m 2 5 W m 1w 2 "02 H1 8 n/ 1 9 n 9 6 2 m Mmh -c "Ur n .e HS l C km mh UIF ii] 21 8 555 [ll assembly comprises a series of levers and linkage arms suitably mounted on the base and to suitable portions of the chuck.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 567 331 9/1896 269/218 1,051,585 1/1913 269/218 2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures US. Patent Dec. 30, 1975 3,929,325

PIPE HOLDING APPARATUS FIELD OF INVENTION The present invention relates to pipe holding apparatus and more particularly to pipe holding apparatus having a predetermined lever-linkage locking means.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Means commonly used and employed to hold pipe about the outer circumference thereof have included rotatably actuated vises. Rotatably actuated vises are operable to drive the jaws together by means of a rotatable handle means. Other vises, operable to engage the outer circumference of a pipe, may include a scissorstype vise in which one of the jaws is pivotally mounted to engage a pipe to be disposed therein. Scissors-type vises, however, are engaged about the pipe by means of rotatably actuated pressure means, similar to levertype linkage engaging means. Frequently, it is to advantage to provide an upstanding vise pipe holding means having a quick engaging and disengaging assembly operable to engage the pipe.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide pipe holding means operable to lock and to hold a pipe in a stable upstanding position.

It is further object of this invention to providea leverlinkage actuator locking means to facilitate engaging and disengaging the pipe from a pipe holding means.

These and other objects shall become apparent from the description following, it being understood that modifications may be made without affecting the teachings of the invention here set out.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Generally, the pipe holding apparatus comprises a base, a chuck including a pair of opposing semicircular jaws operable to compressively contact a pipe and the like, and an actuator assembly operable to actuate the jaws together and to lock the jaws about a pipe. The actuator assembly comprises a series of levers and linkage arms suitably mounted on the base and to suitable portions of the chuck.

A more thorough and comprehensive understanding may be had from the detailed description of thy preferred embodiment when read in connection with the drawings forming a part of this specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a left front perspective view of the pipe holding apparatus of this invention shown with directional arrows for illustrative purposes only.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the apparatus of the FIG. 1 shown with its exterior wall broken away, showing to advantage the jaws which are shown in a variety of positions with broken lines and directional arrows for illustrative purposes.

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the apparatus of the FIG. 1 shown with its exterior wall broken away showing to advantage the jaws which are shown in their closed position and with their side walls removed showing their interior configurations, also shown with directional arrows for illustrative purposes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to the FIG. I, the pipe holding apparatus of this inven- LII tion is shown to advantage and generally identified by the numeral 10. The pipe holding apparatus 10 comprises a base 11, a chuck 12, and an actuator assembly 13. The base 11 includes a pair of parallelly, upstandingly, rectilinearly disposed walls 14 and 14'; and includesa pair of transversely disposed walls 15 and 15 fastened respectively to the interior terminal sides, distally from the respective terminal ends, of the walls 14 and 14. As shown more clearly in the FIG. 2, it has been found to advantage to dispose the transverse walls 15 and 15 in an outwardly inclined manner, from their lowermost terminal ends to their uppermost terminals ends, to guide the chuck 12 in a manner hereinafter described. The chuck 12 is provided with respective stop walls 16 and 16, shown to advantage in the FIG. 3. The chuck 12 includes a pair of semicircularly configured jaws 17 suitably fastened to the respective stop walls 16 and 16'. The jaws 17 are operable to mate to form a substantially ring-like configuration. The walls 16 and 16' of the chuck 12 are inclined inwardly from their uppermost to their lowermost terminal ends. The interior surfaces of the jaws 17 are provided with suitable pipe-gripping means, such asknurling or threadlike grooves. Respective pairs of blocking plates 18 and 18 are fabricated about the uppermost exteriors of the respective jaws 17 to form a substantially rectangular body. The blocking plates 18 are operable to retain the jaws 17 in a predetermined juxtaposition within the base. In this configuration the stop walls 16 and 16' slide loosely within the rectilinear walls 14 and 14. As shown by the FIG. 3, the sides of the blocking plates 18 are suitably fastened to the uppermost terminal sides of the stop walls 16 and 16' and the respective jaws 17, the respective walls 16 and 16' issuing outwardly therefrom.

Referring again to the FIG. 1, the actuator assembly 13 includes a pair of transversely disposed axles 19 and 19'. The axles l9 and 19 are joumally carried distally from the uppermost terminal sides and terminal ends of the rectilinear walls 14 and 14. The axle 19 is provided with a suitable lever 20 which is operable to rotate the axle 19' with respect to the base 11. The opposing axle 19 is provided with a substantially upwardly disposed, fixedly mounted linkage arm 21. The linkage arm 21 is pivotally mounted-at its uppermost end opposite the axle 19 engaging end to the terminal end of a linkage rod 22. The linkage rod 22 is pivotally mounted at its end opposite the arm 21 to the lowermost terminal end of a substantially downwardly disposed, fixedly mounted linkage arm 21' which is provided on the axle 19'. It is to be understood that the linkage rod 22 is mounted in a downwardly inclined direction with respect to the linkage arms 21 and 21'. As shown in the FIGS. 1 and 2, each of the axles l9 and 19' is provided with a pair of interiorly, upwardly inclined, fixedly mounted linkage arms 23. The linkage arms 23 are connected to the uppermost terminal sides of the blocking plates 18 and 18' of the respective jaws 17 by pivotally mounted linkage rods 24. Respective blocking plates 18 and 18' are provided with upstandingly disposed capstans 25 which are fixed mounting posts for the pivotally mounted linkage rods 24.

In operation a pipe (not shown) may be disposed between the jaws 17 of the chuck 12. The pipe is locked into place by rotating the lever 20 interiorly. In this mechanical operation the axles 19 and '19 in response to the movement of the lever 20 rotate in opposite interior directions to force the respective linkage arms 23 downwardly or upwardly with respect to the direction of rotation. Simultaneously, the linkage rods 24 are rotated with their respective linkage arm contacting ends moving towards each other. When the linkage arms 23 are rotated downwardly with respect to the direction of rotation of the axles 19 and 19, the linkage rods 24, pivotally mounted at their respective terminal ends as set out above, are driven downwardly and interiorly, forcing the fixedly mounted capstans 25 interiorly, simultaneously forcing the jaws 17 together against the pipe (not shown). It is to be understood that the linkage arms 23 may be rotated in the opposite direction, as set out above, forcing the jaws 17 away from one another and releasing the grip on the pipe. It may be seen that the arms 23 may be rotated upwardly and outwardly with respect to the base 11, removing the jaws 17 from the confinement provided by the walls 14 and 14, permitting easy access for a length of pipe to be disposed in the holding apparatus 10. It may be seen that, when the actuator assembly 13 is rotated in reverse to the aforesaid rotation, the jaws 17 are forced interiorly when the angularly disposed stop walls 16 and 16' of the jaws 17 contact the angularly disposed transverse walls and 15.

Having thus described in detail a prefered apparatus which embodies the concepts and principles of the invention and which accomplishes the various objects, purposes and aims thereof, it is to be appreciated and will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many physical changes could be made in the apparatus without altering the inventive concepts and principles embodies therein. Hence, it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited only to the extent indicated in the appended claims.

We claim:

l. A pipe holding apparatus comprising:

a base including a pair of parallelly, upstandingly, rcctilinearly disposed walls, and a pair of parallelly, transversely, substantially upstandingly disposed walls;

a chuck including a pair of upstanding, semicircular jaws together forming a ring-like configuration about a pipe, and substantially rectangular blocking plates disposed about the exterior terminal sides of said jaws, said jaws having means for riding within said base; and

an actuator assembly including a pair of axles journally transversely carried distally from the terminal ends of said rectilinear walls, one of said axles having a first lever and a linkage arm fixedly fastened thereto, said lever providing means to rotate said one axle, the opposing axle having a second linkage arm fixedly fastened to one of the terminal ends of said opposing axle, a linkage rod pivotally mounted to said first and second linkage arms at the opposite ends of said rod, each of said axles having a pair of fixedly mounted interiorly disposed upwardly inclined linkage arms, said interior linkage arms having pivotally mounted second linkage rods disposed at their ends opposite said axles, said second linkage rods being pivotally mounted to capstans disposed on the uppermost terminal side of said blocking plates of said chuck.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 including knurling on the pipe-contacting surfaces of said jaws. 

1. A pipe holding apparatus comprising: a base including a pair of parallelly, upstandingly, rectilinearly disposed walls, and a pair of parallelly, transversely, substantially upstandingly disposed walls; a chuck including a pair of upstanding, semicircular jaws together forming a ring-like configuration about a pipe, and substantially rectangular blocking plates disposed about the exterior terminal sides of said jaws, said jaws having means for riding within said base; and an actuator assembly including a pair of axles journally transversely carried distally from the terminal ends of said rectilinear walls, one of said axles having a first lever and a linkage arm fixedly fastened thereto, said lever providing means to rotate said one axle, the opposing axle having a second linkage arm fixedly fastened to one of the terminal ends of said opposing axle, a linkage rod pivotally mounted to said first and second linkage arms at the opposite ends of said rod, each of said axles having a pair of fixedly mounted interiorly disposed upwardly inclined linkage arms, said interior linkage arms having pivotally mounted second linkage rods disposed at their ends opposite said axles, said second linkage rods being pivotally mounted to capstans disposed on the uppermost terminal side of said blocking plates of said chuck.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 including knurling on the pipe-contacting surfaces of said jaws. 